RELEASE!!

Welcome to Balls Of Steel, a short blog about classic Pinball machines. Not to be confused with the UK/Australian stunt/game show series of the same namesake, Balls Of Steel's main focus is to celebrate the artwork of these machines and provide some concise information about the games themselves. The Pinball machine is a mechanical monument to humankind's playful side. Each machine is an artistic embodiment of craftsmanship and engineering built solely for amusement's sake. Those with the love of fun in them can respect the silver ball. Those with design intelligence can enjoy these relics of the modern age, and, there still exist all over the world many Wizards who can make them sing.

Each post will showcase a different machine, and occasionally (i.e.- this post) there will be a bonus round where I will talk about machines as they relate to psychology, media, and/or culture. My hope is that through spotlighting the artwork of these machines in Balls Of Steel, those who already loved them will rediscover relics they may have forgotten. I also hope that those who have never seen them before might gain an appreciation for their wild artistry.     

Special thanks goes out to the Wizards behind arcade-history.com (LINK), and the Internet Pinball Database (LINK) Without their extensive, encyclopedic archives, this blog would not exist.  

On to the games. Unleash the Pavlovian dogs of Arcade war. Release the Balls Of Steel!!!

    

Wonderland (1955 Williams)

Photos by Alan Tate (ipdb.org)

Designed by Pinball Wizard-King Harry Williams, with artwork by George Molentin. Molentin (1913-1994) had already been a Pinball artist for about 20 years when Wonderland was made. His career spanned 5 decades (1935-1980) and his artwork is accredited to over 150 machines. There is surprisingly scant information about Molentin himself on the internet. This despite his obvious prolificness and skill. His art will undoubtedly be featured here again, in future posts.

Photo by Paul Drabik (ipdb.org)

This was not the first machine to be named after the most famous book by mushroom-chawing scribe, Lewis Carroll. There was also a flipper-less one put out in 1948. (above) It is strange that another Alice In Wonderland Pinball machine was never created. Imagine what could be done today with an Alice themed machine. It could be incredible.  

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BONUS ROUND: Star Wars & Pinball

The popularity of Pinball in the 1970s and 80s was as undeniable as the popularity of the Star Wars franchise. Since that time, the Pinball phenomena has diminished, while the Star Wars situation has grown exponentially. (for good or ill) Here's some artwork from a few machines that were part of the Star Wars/Pinball Alliance.

Star Wars (1987 Sonic)

Photo by Jean-Pierre Renault (ipdb.org)

Flyer Photos by Bernard Marrou (ipdb.org)

Star Wars (1992 Data East)
Design: John Borg
Art: Markus Rothkranz

Photo: originalpinball@blogspot.com

Flyer: ipdb.org

Star Wars Trilogy (1997 Sega)
Design: Joe Kaminkow, Joe Balcer
Art: Morgan Weistling

Photo by Jean-Pierre Renault (ipdb.org)

Flyer: ipdb.org

There's A New Hope in town. The hope that future generations may preserve and enjoy the functional monuments to art and fun that Pinball machines are. May the Steel be with you. It has only just begun.

-2014 Wielgorecki